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Orie, Rafferty Introduce "Jessica’s Law"
Part of National Campaign to Crack Down on Sexual Predators
Convicted
child molesters would face 25 years in prison and be required to wear a
monitoring device for life, under legislation sponsored by State Senators Jane
Orie (R-Allegheny) and John Rafferty (R-Montgomery).
Orie
and Rafferty are introducing a bill that would require any person convicted of
molesting a child to serve
up to 40 years
years in prison for the first offense, and when released, to wear a GPS positioning unit for life.
Additionally, a person convicted of a second offence
would receive a mandatory life sentence.
“As a former
prosecutor, I have seen many cases where sexual predators are released only to
abuse another child -- so providing them with freedom only gives them a license
to harm other children,” Rafferty said. “This bill not only increases penalties
for those who prey on children, it also ensures that if and when they are
released their whereabouts are known.”
Orie,
who also served as a child abuse prosecutor for 10 years, said that sexual
predators have a very high rate of recidivism, so they are especially dangerous
when they are released from prison and returned to society.
“This bill
will put these predators on notice. If you harm children, we will lock you up
for a long time, and you will lose your freedom for life,” Orie said. “Our goal
is to pass this law in all 50 states, so that abusers are kept off the streets
and monitored for life.”
The
senators are acting as part of a nationwide campaign to implement severe
sanctions against sexual predators who prey on children under 12. After the
kidnapping and murder of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford by a convicted sex
offender, Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed similar legislation.
 
Rafferty
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